Betrayal is Nothing to the Dead
by iron.soldier
Summary: The Ghost Adventures crew face a most disturbing lockdown: the Vorian Inn. The limits of the trio are tested as horrors are revealed - Nick was killed? Zak was the murderer? - and promises broken as Aaron is taken captive. Zak/OC/Nick
1. The Vorian Inn

**Title: **

**"Betrayal is Nothing for the Dead"**

**Topic: **

**Ghostadventures! But you don't have to have seen Ghostadventures to read and enjoy this story. :) There's a lot of background info. **

**Author: **

**Storm Anara**

**A Quick Note:**

**The Ghostadventures Crew does not belong to me! Only original ideas are mine. BTW, parts of the speech that have a "*bleep*" signal that a swear would be here. As I'm trying to keep this story as realistically close to an episode of Ghostadventures as possible and swears are almost always censored with a "*bleep*" on the show, I will do as they do on their travels. Even some of the dialogue/plot/script may refer to some things that have already occured/been-said on camera. :D**

**"Requiem for a Dream" by GRV Music would go beautifully as music with this chapter.**

**Read - enjoy - and review, please!**

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><p><strong>An Introduction<strong>

It seemed to be a perfectly nice day - the sky being a vivid, forget-me-not shade of blue; the sun pleasantly warm; an occasional, comforting breeze sweeping across the road; only minimal swearing; and good food to eat all along the way. If he was an average man, Zak Bagans would've enjoyed the scenery and laughed at all the humorous jokes that were cracked and even start singing along to the Celine Dion music that played on the van's radio. In fact - he _did _do all those things. But that did not make him "average."

He was a ghost-adventurer. Yeah, sure - laugh away at that title. But it was _true_, and nothing anybody said could ever change that. He'd seen things that would make other grown men weep and cry for mommy, and there were only two exceptions to this fact: Nick Groff and Aaron Goodwin. They were a team. A trio. A group of three guys trying to get proof - evidence that there was indeed a world of the paranormal, evidence that would change the mocking views of the world, evidence that could change the classic skeptic into a kowtowing believer.

But...bottom line: Ghosts, demons, spirits; whatever you wanna call them - _they exist._ They may not be breathing, but they are thinking. They roam the mortal world in every form - mist, shadow, light, energy - and most of them are very, very, _very_ intelligent. They could know who you are: your strengths, your flaws, your weaknesses, your deepest, darkest fears, from just the slightest touch. Scary, right? They could know you're reading these very words. They could be waiting for you; waiting for you to come to them, to the afterlife, to see the ones who are deceased. And you can run - but know that these dead souls will laugh at your petty attempts to get away from their chilling existence. It isn't that hard to figure out the obvious - you can't escape what is all around you.

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><p>"Zak - what the *bleep* are you going?" Nick's voice startled Zak from his crouched position. The furry entity that had been lying still earlier now revealed itself to the world as a very, very pissed off kitty. Zak was forced to jump out of its path as the bristling tabby raced past them, and Aaron roared with laughter, the camera's view shaking violently from his shameless chuckles.<p>

"Oh, shut up," Zak muttered, but he didn't look Aaron in the eye. "Have we forgotten why we're here?"

Nick snorted in response. " 'course not!" The lean man rolled his eyes out of bounds of the cameras and mumbled a swear under his breath. "...We're going to that hotel, right?"

"Yeah - the Vorian Inn," said Zak, nodding. He glanced once at the camera, and then looked around the seemingly deserted street. It was quiet enough to hear the dead leaves rustling from fifteen feet away, and the very silence sent cold chills down the trio's spines.

Coughing in obvious discomfort, Aaron broke the noiseless pause. "So...we're walking through a town that's located smack in the middle of nowhere," he said, while motioning for the other two to start walking. The group ended up breaking into a full-on run, and Aaron ended up having to talk through the mic between steady gasps of air. "...And we're _trying _to find this...find this god*bleep* hotel, but - but...but we can't seem to find it...Hey - Zak - any idea where we're going? Oh, god*bleep* it, I'm tired..."

After an entire half hour (30 MINUTES!) of blundering and searching around - the crew finally stumbled upon an old, but huge, scarlet mansion. Nick nearly fell backwards in his attempt to get a shot of the entire body of the gargantuan, Victorian-styled house; Zak had to grab the other man by the shoulder so he wouldn't keel over. Aaron smothered a giggle.

"The Vorian Inn..." Nick gaped, eyes wide, at the unexpected sight before him. "*Bleep.*"

"They didn't mention how damn _big_ it was, " Zak said, shocked as well. He managed to collect himself in the next second, however, and called to the other two, "We'd better knock."

They walked slowly up the steps of the darkly-painted porch - which was adorned with metallic black leaves and vines, colored the hue of freshest blood, holding an ancient demeanor of absolute refinement - and simultaneously gulped when they stared up at the tall, tall, tall double doors. There was massive bronze knocker eerily carved in the shape of a beautiful woman's face, but it was not until Aaron and Nick elbowed Zak in the side to get moving that any one of them dared move forward. Zak coughed, shot a glare at his companions, and then grasped the handle of the knocker.

"*Bleep*...This place...it's already gettin' creepy," muttered Zak under his breath. He didn't know it, but the camera caught his barely intelligible words. Aaron and Nick shared a private moment, both giving each other raised eyebrows and openly bemused expressions as Zak rapped the knocker against the heavy door. **Knock. Knock. Knock. **The sound reverberated about them for quite a while - but when it stopped, it _stopped_. Abruptly, untainted silence filled their ears.

"..." Zak turned to glance at the crew. They knew that look on his face - the "WTF?" expression which never got old. It seemed as if they were in the wrong place, but then, their fears vanished at the slightest movement -

"Why, hello." Friendly blue eyes appraised the trio; a kind-looking old woman was looking up at them, smiling faintly. "Are you...?"

"Ghostadventures Crew, ma'am," Zak said, and he looked relieved. They shook hands. "I'm Zak. This is Nick," He gestured towards himself, the tall man standing to his left, and the bearded man to his right. "And this is Aaron."

"Hi..."

"Hey..."

Aaron and Nick both gave feeble little waves, their hello's rather weak compared to Zak's. But the lady didn't seem to mind. She smiled serenely at them all, her cliquant blue eyes shimmering with an oddly delighted light, and then ushered them inside the mansion. The trio's gasps were flooded out by the loud, echoing crack of the doors slamming shut behind them. It was like being inside a castle - a beautiful, beautiful castle.

"Wow..." Zak lifted his purple-tinted sunglasses in order to get a clearer view of the sights before him. Sparkles of diamond light gleamed all around them, creating a rather disorienting, but pleasant, halation of energy that glossed over every surface in the massive room. There seemed to be an almost _welcoming_ aura that surrounded the place. It was nothing like the haunted place Aaron or Nick or Zak had pictured in their heads.

"Welcome to the Vorian Inn," the kindly woman said, raising the corners of her lips once more. "I am Lady Vori - granddaughter of Lord Vori the First. My daughter and I run this hotel together - with much help from our loyal employees, of course."

"This place seems empty," commented Aaron. "Where are -"

"Only my daughter and I are here," Lady Vori said quietly. She turned and looked straight into the cameras, her gaze suddenly guarded. "When I was informed that the Ghostadventures society was intrigued in _my_ humble little inn, I immediately gave each and every one of my workers three days leave. I wouldn't want anyone of my people ruining your...'lockdown.' No...no...that wouldn't be good at all..."

She shifted her eyes and then focused upon Zak and Nick, as if noticing them for the first time. At Nick, she nodded faintly and mumbled, "Good man...good man...Not bad at all..." But at Zak, her response was rather frightening: the tendrils of muscle in her neck suddenly froze, sticking out sharply; her hands clenched into tight, white knuckles, and her once-beautiful face took on an expression of pointblank rage. Zak stared back at the woman, wanting to bolt but unable to move. The air had seemed to have gone very, very...cold.

_Fizzle...***bleep***! CRACK._

The camera in Aaron's hands suddenly emitted a raucous noise - and all vision died on his screen. As Aaron swore in surprise, the freezing spell seemed to have been broken. Lady Vori calmed and befitted yet another warm smile upon her face - although this time, it was rather disturbing to see - and looked at the heavy device Aaron held.

"Oh, my my," She said, giving an unsettling little laugh. "Looks like the residents of this place are getting to know you already."

"Residents...?" Nick stared at her.

"The _permanent_ residents, Mister Groff," Vori explained, fixing her glassy blue eyes upon him. "I hope that you understand what I'm getting at?"

Behind the old woman, Zak mouthed, "_ghosts_," to the remaining camera in Nick's hands. It seemed as if the antics had begun - and the interview hadn't even started yet, let alone the lockdown.

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><p>After Aaron's camera died unexpectedly, Lady Vori had decided to show the group to their separated bedrooms. Zak's room - incredibly large, its walls and adornments shaded ivy-green and metallic silver, the lonely bed huge and oval-shaped, supposedly designed for two people to sleep in - was located on the top, 5th floor. He was left alone to acquaintance himself with his quarters while Nick and Aaron were lead down one of the mansion's many stairways. Aaron's room - unusually spacious, was based mainly on the colors of blue and earl-gray, containing a large, square bed shaped in a double-crescent form - had been placed in the far right corner of the 3rd floor, its door hidden from any stray eyes.<p>

Last to be shown to his chambers was Nick.

"Ahh, sir Nick," Lady Vori said, flashing him a coy smile. "This is a special room, it is. I dearly hope you appreciate its perfection." And she opened the glossy maple door. "I shall see thee, and your comrades, within the strike of an hour, I hope?"

"One - One hour, right," Nick said. He was far too distracted to respond properly. "O-Of course." And as he set foot over the threshold, a strange breeze flew across his magnificent room and threw open its windows' scarlet curtains. Sunlight cascaded across the breath-taking scene - illuminating his vision.

"Daaamn," He whistled, folding his arms thoughtfully. His first impression had been red - only red - but then in the next few seconds, reality took over. Saffron and beige were the two dominate hues in this god of a room - carelessly beautiful, abstractly elegant - the cylindrical ruby bed looked comfortable and welcoming; a small, priceless chandelier hung from the ceiling's very center, casting faint wisps of silver across the carefully painted walls; there was a large corridor to the left of the room, leading off to what could only be heaven's very bathroom.

"This place?" Suddenly, Nick groaned and facepalmed. "_This _place has to be haunted? Seriously? Not cool."

Up in his room, on the very corner of the 3rd floor, Aaron Goodwin was grinning from ear to ear.

"EPIC!" He caterwauled, right after seeing the absolute brilliance of his chambers. This was probably the best inn he'd ever stayed at, and just to rub it in, Aaron began testing his funky bed by hopping up and down on it. "THIS. IS. EPIC!"

Back up on the 5th floor, in yet another fancy room, Zak Bagans was a little blown away. He usually did an inspection of every hotel room he stayed at - but today, he just stood absolutely still and stared. If this inn was haunted, Zak thought, they were screwed.

Suddenly, a tiny gasp made him turn around. There was this loud crash - a golden vase brimming with lilacs was thrown to the ground, splashing crystal water everywhere - and the sound of frightened feet rushing away echoed from the hall. Instantly, Zak broke into a running, dashing after the footsteps.

"Wa - Wait - who's there -" As he called after the noises, his thoughts flew to spirits, demons, ghosts, violence, an impossible lockdown, a darkness, someone's anger, the dark histories, many years hidden and dormant, secrets untold but said today, promises made, kept, then broken -

and he halted, suddenly, abruptly, as he saw the lithe figure standing in the shadows of the stairway, the only things visible being one, pale hand grasping the handle of an ancient staff, which was studded and adorned with dark emeralds and the imprints of glowering eyes - eyes that were alive, watching him, glaring at him, staring him down - eyes that told him he was not welcome, which told him to get out and leave the seemingly innocent mansion, for it held an evil, evil power - this being was telling him to escape it, escape it all, before it would be too late and he would discover something horrifingly unreal, but real, nethertheless -

"ZAK! Ya up there? CAN YA HEAR US?" Nick and Aaron's voices were like an ethereal light in his brief moment of darkness and hell - at the first opportunity, Zak grabbed at the light, fumbling as he lapsed out of his breathless insanity - and in the moment of distraction, the figure backed away and vanished, the hem of an amethyst cloth being the last Zak could ever possibly see of that entity. But he fell to his knees, breathing heavily, shaking everywhere.

"What the *bleep* was that? !" He screamed at no one in particular, just needing some sort of outlet for his fear. His breath was cold, and goosebumps raced up and down his arms.

"ZAK? ZAK?"

"Hold on, *bleep*," He swore, shaking his head. "I'm comin'... just, damn it, give me a second..." And then he stood up, still trembling a bit, watching the unseen blackness, studying it, holding onto it. "That was..." He let loose another swear. _"*Bleep*"_

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><p><strong>AN: Hope you enjoyed! XD Hell knows I did. ^_^ Please review, and you shall receive a virtual cookie! 8D**


	2. A Little Nap

**Enjoy!**

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><p>Taking his thoughts off of the strange figure he had just had a frightful encounter with, Zak Bagans crept down one of the Vorian Inn's many stairways and tried to find the other members of his crew. This mansion wasn't like other haunts - it had this pleasant, welcoming air, seeming to not contain the slightest strand of the ghostly or paranormal. In fact, there wasn't even a cold breeze that brushed his shoulder; everything was just too perfect, friendly, warm - like a pretty little lullaby, making him sleepy...sleepy...sleepy...<p>

So, so, _so_ sleepy, that Zak decided unconsciously he needed a nap. And without thinking, without even considering, his eyes clicked shut and his legs gave out beneath him. There was no pain as his head struck metal.

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><p>"Where's Zak?" His mouth slightly stuffed with the delicious bacon served to them by Lady Vori, Nick spoke. "Nick?"<p>

"Dunno..." Aaron shrugged, uncharacteristically lazy. He turned back to his transparent glass plate, shoveling massive forkfuls of maple-syrup-ed waffles between his lips, only pausing to chug down a tankard of sweet-smelling brown liquid. "Just eat, bro."

"Aaron - is that _alcohol_?" Nick was shocked. "You know we don't drink before lockdowns - it might effect our senses -"

"Oh, just relax, dude!" He shrugged and smiled nonchalantly, waving a fork at his fork. "Ya know, you've been pretty uptight. Relax; try some of this chicken, it's sooo good -" Aaron reached for the plate, but Nick grabbed his wrist and held on fiercely.

"Dude," Nick said warningly, eyes flashing. "You're not bein' yourself."

"What're you talkin' about - 'course I'm being myself..."

" - No, you're not! Why don't do you just stop eating for a second and -"

"Bro, I'm fine -"

"Is everything alright, gentlemen?" They had been speaking so loudly that they had attracted the attention of Lady Vori, who'd been fixing up some more food for them. The old woman stood at the doorway, wearing a patient smile upon her lips.

"We're good, ma'am," Aaron said, grinning. "Your cooking is delicious, by the way -"

In a second's notice, the smile dropped off of her face and the air seemed to have gone frozen again. Nick could swear on the existence of spirits that he could _see_ his own breathes coming out, in thin, wispy little puffs - like a dead winter's day. This was not natural. This was terrifying, beyond belief - it was the paranormal, it had to be the paranormal - Nick could only manage to croak, "Y-Yes, extremely delicious..."

"You boys make me blush!" and just like that, the temperature rose back to normal and the mansion became welcoming and warm. Nick's words seemed to have evoked the kindness within the lady once more. "This inn always serves food that has been made by the purest of ingredients and follows the original recipes of my great grandmother. If only Arechna were here - her cooking is legendary!"

Swallowing his bewilderment and growing apprehension, Nick asked, "Arechna? Arcehna Vori?"

"Yes, yes," she said, sounding flattered. "My daughter and I are the last living descendants of the German Vori clan; we hold our ancestry with great pride, you know, great pride..." and then she drifted off, looking sad and old and lonely. Nick forgot all about the coldness she had shown just a few moments ago and pitied her.

"Where is your daughter?" He asked. "Her name?"

"Canrhea," Lady Vori murmured, now studying the violet rings that adorned her fingers. "Canrhea left for one of her morning strolls just a few moments after you and your friends arrived. I'm surprised that she isn't back yet. Her walks are usually not that long...arrives at noon, almost always..."

Automatically, Nick looked at the grandfather clock towering but a few feet away from them. Its ancient hands read: **11:21.**

"There's more than enough time for her to come back," he encourage, still feeling sorry for the old woman. "Why don't you tell us about this house? I'd say we should start the interview, but -"

"Hey, Nick - where's Zak?" At last, Aaron finally spoke up. But he seemed dazed and caught by surprise. Upon looking closer, Nick saw that there were no remnants of food in his friend's mouth, and that the strange eating spell had been broken. Aaron was back to normal.

"That's what I asked you!" Nick replied, exasperated. "We should find Zak before beginning the interview. Is it alright, Lady Vori, if we -"

"Oh, no, Nicholas. It's utterly fine," the lady flashed him her brightest smile yet. "Please, explore and acquaintance yourself to this mansion. I'll find you if I require your presence."

Nick nodded - "Thank you!" - and then left, snatching Aaron on the way out. He towed the other man out with him by the elbow - Aaron barely had time to get his 2nd camera ready (the first camera had been toasted alive by the 'spirits' earlier) - and they began the search for their missing team member.

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><p>It took exactly 18 minutes for Aaron and Nick to find him, sprawled crookedly on the stairway.<p>

"Holy *BLEEP*!" Aaron's swear of shock was the first thing that woke Zak up from his impromptu nap. "OHMYGOD IS HE DEAD?"

"Dude - calm down..." said Nick. "I think he's waking up..." A finger prodded him in the face, and Zak then groaned, "Five more minutes..." At this, relieved laughter filled the hall. Aaron, stifling giggles, panned down with his camera to get a close up of Zak's face.

"Wakey - Wakey," Nick whispered, and then screamed, "EGGS AND BAKEY!"

"*Bleep*!" Zak jerked awake, cursing breathlessly. His wild eyes sought some sort of explanation. "Wha - What the *bleep* was that for, man? I was sleepin' -"

"Yeah, you were sleepin!" From behind his camera, Aaron was livid. "ON THE *BLEEP* STAIRS! How the *bleep* did you manage that?"

"T - The stairs?" Zak repeated. He looked down at the surface he had been laying on for the past half and hour, and then seemed to turn a very faint shade of red. "Oh - uh - n-no reason..."

Nick and Aaron shared a startled look, and in that instant - both of them looked ready to crack down on their puzzled comrade, prepared to interrogate him until he would start swearing at them, probably, but of course, fate would never let them do that, as the spirits of the mannor had had already something planned for the Ghostadventures crew. A little meeting perhaps, announced with this voice -

"Did he fall?" Youthful, intelligent, and lilting with just a hint of an unrecognizable accent, someone female spoke to the trio's turned backs. Aaron was the first to turn, casting the slightly eerie light of the camera upon this new-comer.

Zak blinked - his first impression of this woman was not, "_Wow, she's pretty,_" but was instead, _"Holy *bleep,* those are some creepy eyes."_ And he was right. This young lady had these eyes that would've been an attractively large size, but the pretty-effect was tarnished by their color: a reflective, cold, almost transparent gray; no emotion; no reaction; only chilling appraisal.

"Did he fall?" She asked again, this time with a little more conviction. Her head turned ever-so-carefully, moving exactly one cautious degree - this small movement was enough for her to get a full view of Zak, who was just getting up off the floor.

"Err - no, he didn't fall." Nick was the only one sane enough to respond to her unanswered question. "At least, I don't think so -"

The young woman's eyes twitched in the direction of Nick, and they widened, as if seeing him for the first time. It didn't take a person with 20/20 vision to easily see that her pale skin had gone even paler. Her scarlet lips twisted into a small "O."

When she breathed, "N-Nicholas?", the brand-new camera in Aaron's hands fizzled and smoked a bit, depleted of almost all of its battery in an amazingly short amount of time. Nick blinked, but he did not have to endure the woman's stare for far too long - as Aaron's voice - "*BLEEP!* WHAT IS WRONG WITH THIS PLACE?* - broke the trance. After that brief incident, she didn't look at him again.

"I was just tired," Zak muttered, while yawning and standing up. He seemed perfectly fine. "So I feel asleep -"

"On the stairs?" She finished for him. A cold, knowing look crossed her porcelain features. "You feel asleep on the stairs. You. A grown man."

There was an awkward moment of silence. All of them stared at the woman - but she only had eyes for Zak. There was something almost..._violent_ about her expression, Nick thought, Something hateful, loathing, disgusted beyond measure; as if she would start screaming bloody curses at his friend, ready to strangle his throat with her bare fingers...

The woman coughed, merely to interrupt the growing sense of fury that Nick had been feeling. "Presuming that you've already been showed your rooms - thus having met Lady Vori - I believe it's time for the introductions?" She looked at Zak expectantly.

"What?" It took a second for Zak to realize what she diplomatically asking of him. "O-Oh, right...well, then..." He pointed at the man holding the camera. "That's, err, Aaron." Then he did a little head-gesture at Nick. "This is Nick...And I'm Zak."

She blinked her stormy gray eyes at them.

"Lords Aaron, Nicholas, and Zachary," she greeted, with a little flick of her raven-black hair. "How intriguing."

It was there on after that the chaos truly began.


	3. Fire

**Hey! It's been a while ._. but i'm back! ^^**

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><strong><strong>

Placid, disk-like gray eyes bore into his skull. Nick was sitting down at the front of one of the Vorian Inn's many oaken tables, perfectly alone except that the young woman, Canrhea, sat across from him, her seating position mirrored to his. And all the while, as they waited for Zak and Aaron to return from their bathroom breaks, Canrhea's placid gray gaze bore into him.

He coughed, hoping to interrupt her staring. But it didn't work.

Her eyes were like charcoal-shaded coins - her presence intense, unwavering, silent - her expression unreadable. It sounded like she was British, or somethin'. Her accent was weird. He paused in his ponderings, smoothly glancing over at the dead grandfather clock sitting to his left. He looked back at he. There is a sort of...vicious beauty to her, Nick thought awkwardly. Not really my type, he continued to think, more like Zak's. But, still, incredibly attractive...

Oh - God. Nick almost slapped himself.

He was married. He was MARRIED. So why the ever-loving *bleep* was he even thinking thoughts like this? Taking in a quiet, big breath and looking away from the young maiden, Nick immediately filled his head with thoughts of his beautiful, smiling wife. Ahh, that was better. Much better. As long as he didn't look into those alien eyes, Nick was perfectly fine -

"Sir Nicholas?"

In a knee-jerk reaction, he looked up. His wide, milky brown gaze ended up meeting that powerful gray one. What a stupid decision! Because the moment their eyes reflected one another, it seemed as if the inhuman aura of Canrhea had increased ten-fold to Nick. As if someone had turned the dial up on his internal heat meter and Nick felt himself growing incredibly, uncharacteristically warm. He didn't feel like himself. It felt like one of the times he had been possessed... and suddenly, his palms became bitter cold - as though they'd been frozen over - while his neck and face and torso felt like they were burning.

_Ba-dump. Ba-dump. Ba-dump._

Blood rang in his ears. His breath caught in his throat. Black dots began to pattern his vision, and soon enough, those hungry, cliquant eyes were the only thing he could see.

Then Aaron suddenly shouted, "Yo, Nick - we're back!" Footsteps that would've usually been soft and meaningless to his normal ears now inflicted a pounding, merciless agony on his eardrums. Unable to control himself, Nick clapped his ice-cold hands over his ringing ears and cried out in pain. Immediately, chairs were pushed back, tossed aside even, and an alarmed Zak began shouting.

"Nick! Nick! NICK!"

Again and again and again and again. That single name was echoed and amplified over thrice times. Hands came clutching at his shoulders, trying to hold down his wrists, trying to tame his uncontrollable jerkings and spasms, attempting to comfort him - but absolutely nothing worked. When other people touched him, it felt like molten heat was searing his flesh. He'd never known a torture like this.

"There's...a...fire," he moaned weakly - and then fell from his chair, crumpling onto the ground. The rusted, metallic taste of blood hit his tongue. And a darkness swept him into sleep. But this darkness was welcomed, as it brought numbing, cloying, blissful relief. The last thing he heard was the sound of Canrhea's wail.

"Nicholas!"

"Foolish girl! You almost killed him!" Although he was awake (Lady Vori's hiss of anger had stirred him) Nick did not open his eyes - but he could hear every word of this conversation.

"I - I'm sorry, mother!" Canrhea's regret-filled voice rang softly against his ears. "I merely desired to attempt -"

"You need time, Canrhea - and practice," Lady Vori said impatiently. "Over and over, I tell you, daughter, yet you never heed my warnings and throw all cautions into the stricken hands of thine devil!"

Nick could practically feel the reproach burning off of Canrhea in thick, festering waves."...Thy words of wisdom do not go unpracticed, dear mother," muttered the young woman. It was obvious that she was doing her best not to snap. "But... you cannot deny the hope that brimmed within thy eyes when you saw him in such a youthful and replenished state. Nor the hatred that burned like a flame within thy heart once laying your gaze upon the tall, proud, beautiful one."

"... ... ..." Complete, thoughtful silence on Lady Vori's part.

"Mother? I await a response."

"... ... ... I admit, Canrhea. I admit. I was startled beyond words when first seeing this Nicholas. And this Zachary. Even their Aaron. It is by the grace of the great overseer that we have received such a glorious second chance."

"I can't believe it, either, mother. This...Nick Groff, is an exact duplicate of Lord Nicholas. Right down to the finest hair. And - dear overseer - that Zak Bagans. He looks just like...oh the fire of Hell and deep within - he may wear those flattering black spectacles that sit so innocently upon his fine nose, but, still, the man remains looking just...like..." A soft, broken little whimper escaped Canrhea's lips.

"There, there, daughter," murmured her mother. "Revenge shall be beautiful, say you not?"

"...Revenge shall be beautiful."

"Good, good."

Nick's heart was pounding in frantic, panicky beats, but he managed to hold it together until footsteps told him Canrhea and Lady Vori had left the room. The instant they passed over the threshold and their voices faded away mutely, Nick literally sprang into an upright position from the soft bed he lay upon. He looked down at himself and realized that his shirt was splattered with what looked like...blood.

Normally, Nick wasn't squeamish about blood or cuts or any of that kind of stuff. But he was tired, nauseous; his head felt like it about to burst from stress; his heart rate was unusually fast; and his bones felt like jelly. So, of course, his eyes rolled up until you could only see the whites of them and he crumpled back onto the bedsheets; pale, unresponsive, and exhausted.


End file.
